All My Sons, By Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller is arguably the most important thing ever to have happened to American theater. It’s a question for the historians to figure out why it took us until the 20th century to find a voice fit for the stage, while the novelists were already worshipping the yellowing memory of great granddad Mark Twain. At any rate, those of us living in this age can count ourselves lucky to have Miller as a contemporary. More than that, we here in the Twin Cities will be treated to the world premiere of his newest play, Resurrection Blues, later this year. What better way to bone up than by enjoying this production of All My Sons, a sort of Death of a Military Salesman, which poses some typical Miller conundrums relative to war, family, loyalty, and the uniquely American take on materialistic spirituality. It was his first critical success on Broadway, and signaled great things to come. All in all, we have to say the Guthrie is riding high on a crest of artistic merit and cultural relevance that’s equal to the task of eventually inhabiting that odd building they’re proposing. It certainly serves their purposes—not unlike the Twins playing at the top of their game, just when they’re asking for special dispensations from the public. Guthrie Theater, (612) 377-2224